Bailey Smith's promise to Western Bulldogs teammates after brutal AFL injury blow

Bailey Smith has promised his Western Bulldogs teammates that he'll be on his best behaviour over the Christmas break after tearing his ACL in a devastating injury blow. Smith is likely to miss the entire 2024 AFL season as he recovers from the knee injury, but is hoping to inspire the Bulldogs from the rehab ward.

“As long as I still train, I don’t mind. Hopefully I can inspire a few of the boys when they see me in a full sweat each day, hopefully that can spur them on a bit, that’s sort of my motivation, is to try and have a positive impact on others,” he told reporters on Monday.

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“It’s only a small part not being able to run out on weekends so as much support as I can be for the group is sort of the goal. Do my rehab as well as I can and do all the right things and be good on New Year's, no drinking etc ... just be a good boy and look after it, because I’m really motivated to come back bigger and better."

The 23-year-old appears to be taking the injury really well despite the fact it means he won't be able to use his on-field performances to get a new deal at the club for 2025, when he comes off contract. The midfielder has been linked to Collingwood and a number of other rival AFL clubs.

“It’s obviously frustrating, but there’s problems and then there’s real world problems, so you put it into perspective as well as you can and get on with things,” Smith said. “Once I get training and stuff, that’s when we’ll start to properly put the mind to it (my contract). Right now I’m just going through the motions with the knee and just trying to get in a good headspace and a good space.”

Will Bailey Smith still be at Western Bulldogs in 2025?

Discussing the situation last week, former Bulldogs player Adam Cooney said it felt like Smith was in for a big year in 2024 after a sub-standard one this season. "I just feel like he had a point to prove coming into season 2024," Cooney said on SEN radio.

“In the social world, he is the most famous player in the AFL, he's more famous than Dustin Martin, which is unbelievable given the difference in CVs. He's a damaging midfielder at his best who had a cracking 2021 finals series, and it leaves the Dogs in a bit of a hole.”

Cooney said he's hopeful that Smith remains a Bulldog in 2025. “I feel like if he would have squeezed back into that midfield, then I think he would have been more inclined to stay," he said in relation to the fact that Smith fell out of favour with coach Luke Beveridge in 2023.

“It depends on how they go. If things go really well and the Dogs finish top four, which they have the potential to if you have a look at this list, then he might think, ‘Well, everything's on track … I want to stay for another couple of years, see if we can get another premiership sign that two-year deal’.”

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